1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus, method and system for providing even information, and more particularly, to an apparatus, method and system for collecting and managing event information generated in devices included in a network forming a predetermined domain such as a home network and providing the event information to a user.
2. Description of the Related Art
With the development of communication and network technology, various types of home networks have been introduced and technology for increasing a user's convenience in controlling and monitoring devices included in a home network has been proposed.
In particular, technology for collecting and providing event information generated in each device to a user, for example, information indicating a status of each device, such as starting recording a program received by a set-top box at a particular time set by a user or terminating the operation of a washing machine, has been proposed so that the user can easily recognize the status of each device.
One representative example of such technology is a home network based on Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) technology. Event information generated in each of devices included in the home network is provided to a user through a procedure illustrated in FIG. 1.
FIG. 1 is a schematic flowchart of the procedure of providing event information using a related art UPnP technology.
In FIG. 1, a “controlling device” changes the status of other devices included in the home network according to a user's input or receives information on a status change from other devices and provides the information to the user. A “controlled device” is controlled by the controlling device and provides information on a generated event to the controlling device through a predetermined procedure. Here, the controlling device and the controlled device are included in one home network.
Referring to FIG. 1, in operation S110, the controlling device requests the controlled device to perform event registration in order to receive an event generated in the controlled device. This event registration request may be performed in response to an input from a user using the controlling device or may be automatically performed when the controlling device starts operating.
In operation S120, the controlled device responds to the event registration request. In operation S130, the controlled device transmits an initial event message including information on its current status to the controlling device.
Thereafter, when an event indicating the status change of the controlled device is generated in operation S140, the controlled device transmits an event message including information on the generated event to the controlling device in operation S150. Here, when a plurality of events are generated at the same time, the controlled device may embed information on all of the events into a single event message and transmit the single event message to the controlling device.
Accordingly, the controlling device interprets the event message and provides the information on the event(s) generated in the controlled device.
However, in this conventional procedure, the controlling device must request the controlled device to perform the event registration in order to obtain information on an event generated in the controlled device.
Accordingly, in a state where the event registration request is not performed, the controlling device cannot receive event information from the controlled device. In this condition, problems may occur when an emergency event is generated. For example, when gas leakage is sensed by a gas leakage detection system corresponding to the controlled device located on a first floor while a user having a personal digital assistant (PDA) corresponding to the controlling device is watching television on a second floor without the event registration from the gas leakage detection system, the PDA cannot acquire information on the gas leakage, and therefore, the user cannot be informed of the danger state of the gas leakage.